Pekka Kare has died aged 91 after a short illness ©IWF

Pekka Kare, a former Executive Board member of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and Honorary President of the Finnish Weightlifting Federation, has died aged 91 following a short illness.

The Finn was elected to the IWF Executive Board in 1968, which was a year prior to him being part of the group that founded the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF).

He worked on the IWF Executive Board up until 1974 and then again during the 1990s.

Kare was also a member of the EWF Executive Board from its founding year to 2003.

In 1968, he was put in charge of the Finnish weightlifting team for the Olympic Games in Mexico City, which was where weightlifter Kaarlo Kangasniemi became the first and to date only Finnish Olympic weightlifting champion.

Kaarlo Kangasniemi became the first Finnish Olympic weightlifting champion under Pekka Kare's leadership ©Getty Images
Kaarlo Kangasniemi became the first Finnish Olympic weightlifting champion under Pekka Kare's leadership ©Getty Images

Kare took on the role as the team leader of Finland's national team at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

The event was the only time Finland had a weightlifter in each weight category for the Olympics.

He served two separate tenures as the head of the Finnish Weightlifting Federation, initially leading the body between 1967 and 1974 before returning for a 12-year spell between 1980 and 1992.

It was under his Presidency that Finland secured the right to host the 1998 IWF World Championships in Lahti - the only time the country welcomed the event.

Kare, who also served as vice-president of the Finnish Olympic Committee, was nominated for the position of Honorary President after he eft the Finnish Weightlifting Federation Presidency for the second time..